


if i'm far from home

by ketabat



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Billy Hargrove Being an Asshole, But he still cares, Drabble, Driving, No Incest, Sibling Bonding
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-29
Updated: 2019-07-29
Packaged: 2020-07-25 01:04:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,208
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20023993
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ketabat/pseuds/ketabat
Summary: “You’re driving today” he says casually, turning around to get in the passenger seat.Max doesn’t budge, only lifts a hand to wave away the fog of smoke he blew in her face, then tuck a strand of hair behind her ear as she laughs out a “you’re kidding, right?”aka the fic where billy gives max a driving lesson for reasons.





	if i'm far from home

**Author's Note:**

> SO 
> 
> i rewatched s2 for.. reasons (yes I'm still in denial about billy's death and i refuse to acknowledge it), and it came to my attention that Max and Billy's driving styles are pretty similar (aka chaotic), which resulted in this. It's set somewhere between season 2 and season 3 ig. let's overlook how good of a driver she was in 2x09. im rambling so ima cut this short. enjoy! :)
> 
> **_______**

“Late again” Billy sing-songs without a glance in Max’s direction. He hears Max’s muttered _fuck off_ as she rounds the car to come to a stop in front of him.

He takes a slow drag of his cigarette, sizing her up with imperious boredom. It makes anger simmer hotly in her bright blue eyes as she grits her teeth to hold back from snarking. Billy can’t help but feel somewhat envious of her ability to control herself when she’s pissed.

She waves a hand at the car door. “Can you _move?_ ” Her voice is bitter, accompanied by an equally bitter smile.

Billy sighs, glancing away as he flicks the cigarette to the ground and steps on it with the toe of his shoe. “You’re driving today” he says casually, turning around to get in the passenger seat.

Max doesn’t budge, only lifts a hand to wave away the fog of smoke he blew in her face, then tuck a strand of hair behind her ear as she laughs out a “you’re kidding, right?”

Billy’s hand stills on the handle of his car-door. He turns to face her, leans uncomfortably close till she can smell his breath. Smoke and whiskey and some whore’s cheap cherry lipstick. “Do I look like I _kid,_ Maxine?” He whispers, unblinking.

Max swallows, fear settling in her chest as she stares into the coldness of his eyes. She clenches her hand tighter on her skateboard, then she exhales and shrugs. “Fine. Whatever,” she says, shaking her head, “but don’t blame me when I crash your stupid car.”

Billy rolls his eyes, lowering his ray bans from his head to the bridge of his nose before he climbs into the car.

Despite Max’s efforts to look uninterested in driving, Billy can sense her excitement as she wiggles a little in her seat and lowers the rearview mirror to suit her height.

Billy rests his head back with his eyes shut, sucking his teeth as he hands her the key. “Put it in, twist it to start the engine.”

It takes her three tries before the car starts. Billy is a little more patient than his dad. He pushes away the memory of Neil, smacking him on the back of his head when he got it wrong the first time. As much as he hates his bitch of a stepsister, he wouldn’t _hit_ her.

“Now listen up, shitbird” he sits up, sniffles as he adjusts his position. “This shit right here is the gearbox. We’ve got neutral, one, two, three, four, five, and reverse. Got it?”

“I guess?” Max answers, unsure.

“It’s on neutral. You wanna move between those, you gotta step on the clutch pedal. It’s that piece of junk right there” he points at the pedal.

“For someone who loves his car more than his own family, you sure do insult it a lot” Max mumbles, but steps down on the clutch pedal and moves the gear to one.

Billy offhandedly ignores her. “Release it slowly” he says, tuts his tongue when she goes too fast. “I said _slowly_. You deaf?”

The car lurches to a stop and Max turns to look at him. “Why are you even teaching me?” She spits. “What? You just want to find an excuse to yell and make me feel stupid?”

Billy lifts his forefinger, ready to reprimand her for mouthing off to him, then comes to a stop and instead grits out a low _start. again._

She gets the hang of it soon enough. Billy doesn’t dare crack a smile at her excited ‘yesss’. As much as he wants to.

“It’s too slow” she grouses.

“Step on the accelerator— not that, the one next to it- not so fast— Maxine!”

Max slows down at the small laugh in his voice when he shouts her name in a failed attempt at anger. He doesn’t miss her shock as she stares between the road and him as if he’d just grown a second head. “Eyes on the road, Maxine” he sighs out, exasperated.

When she neutralises the speed, he lets out a breath and sits back again, waving a hand. “You know the way home” he says, giving her no space for argument.

Max’s hands loosen and tighten on the steering wheel, a question weighing on her tongue as she stares dead ahead. “Spit it out” Billy says, eyes still closed.

Max licks her lips, knuckles turning white as she shakes her head to get her hair away from her face. “Why?”

“Why what?” Billy murmurs. He knows what she’s asking. What he doesn’t know, however, is how to answer it without seeming like a fucking softie.

“You know what” Max retorts, glancing at him before he points a stern finger at the road.

He’s acting as if he doesn’t drive like a maniac. He’d drive blindfolded if it wins him a bitch’s admiration and a packet of cigarettes.

His head lulls to the side and he’s glad his sunglasses are shielding his eyes from her as he stares out his window. “I’m gonna start savin’ up to move back to Cali” he eventually speaks up.

Max gives a hum of question, not really catching on.

“And with me gone, Neil’s punchbag is gone, y’know that” he turns his head to look at her from over his shades, sees the way her throat bobs at the implication imbedded in his statement. “Clutch pedal, gear to three.”

She follows his order, eyes not leaving the road. “What does that have to do with this?” She asks after a second.

Billy’s toes curl in his shoes, the burn grounding him enough to talk. “If he ever hurts you, Maxine—”

“I’ll kick his ass” Max cuts in. She spares him a brief glance. “I was this close to smashing your balls with a nailed bat, Billy.”

Billy tuts his tongue, the wording of her public display of strength feeling like a physical blow to his pride. “I was drugged. Wasn’t a fair one-on-one” he defends. “And you don’t hold a candle to him. Get your head outta your ass.”

Max rolls her eyes.

“So if he hurts you, you take his keys, get in his car, and you drive. Anywhere that gets you away. Go to that..” he swipes a hand in the air, “fat chief. John or whatever.”

“Hopper. Jim Hopper,” Max says pointedly. “This would be much more brotherly if you stopped talking like an asshole for once.”

“Great thing I’m not aimin’ for brotherly, eh?” Billy quips, smirking at his own words. “Turn left.”

They fall silent until their house comes into view. “Clutch pedal and brakes” Billy says. “Congrats, you’re now a pro. Gimme the keys and get the fuck outta my car.”

“Jeez, fuck you too” Max purposely leaves the key in the ignition and leaves the window open before getting out.

Billy allows himself a smile, barely a twitch of his lips, before he schools his face back to its usual stoicism. He follows suit a moment later and starts his way towards the house.

Max falls into step beside him and playfully pushes into his side. “So, can I drive to school tomorrow?”

Billy just overtakes her with a patronising “in your fucking dreams, freckleface.”

**Author's Note:**

> title taken from [this song.](https://youtu.be/YxIiPLVR6NA)


End file.
